Dean of Learning and Teaching

Fairfield School of Business (FSB), an OFS registered private higher education provider founded in 2006 with campuses in London, Birmingham, Leicester, Sheffield and Luton. We provide industry-relevant qualifications in business, digital marketing, criminology, counselling and healthcare management in partnership with three leading UK universities. Also, we provide Masters and MBA degrees.

Our focus is to offer an open and inclusive learning and teaching environment for both students and staff. We are also committed to providing access to higher education to those who may not have formal qualifications, financial means or can commit to the schedule of a mainstream university.

We are currently seeking to appoint a Dean of Learning and Teaching on a Full-time permanent basis.

Job Purpose:

The Dean of Learning and Teaching provides strategic leadership to enhance the quality of teaching, learning, and student success within the Fairfield School of Business (FSB). This role focuses on developing and implementing innovative teaching methodologies, campus development, curriculum enhancement, and academic policies that align with institutional goals. The Dean collaborates programme managers, campuses, department heads, and administrative staff to ensure excellence in educational delivery, student engagement, research and academic integrity.

Reporting to the Vice-Principal and the CEO, the Dean for Learning and Teaching is a strategic academic leadership post with significant cross-institutional responsibility. In conjunction with campus Deans, the Dean for Learning and Teaching plays a major strategic role in developing FSB, and in ensuring appropriate representation from the faculty on all stakeholder wide bodies concerned with learning and teaching.

Main duties and responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership & Academic Excellence

• Develop and implement strategies to improve the overall quality of teaching and learning across the school.
• Lead initiatives that promote student-centred, innovative, and inclusive teaching practices.
• Ensure alignment of teaching practices with FSB goals, partner accreditation standards, and best practices in higher education.
• Collaborate with academic departments to enhance curriculum design, assessment, and learning outcomes.
• Contribute to the development of learning and teaching strategy, policies, enhancement and management throughout the school.
• Develop and implement strategies to improve the overall quality of teaching and learning across the school.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with partner universities.
• Coordinate regular meetings, updates, and reporting with partner universities.
• Address and resolve any issues or concerns raised by partner universities.
• Work closely with program leaders to support program delivery and academic coordination.
• Assist in curriculum alignment, assessment strategies, and program enhancements.
• Facilitate communication between partner universities (link tutors) and program leaders to ensure consistency in academic standards.
• Monitor and support the implementation of academic policies and regulations.

School Development & Support

- Oversee professional development programs for faculty to enhance instructional skills, digital pedagogy, and student engagement.

- Provide guidance on teaching methodologies, assessment techniques, and curriculum innovation.

- Lead faculty mentoring and evaluation programs to ensure continuous improvement in teaching quality.

Student Success & Learning Outcomes

- Implement strategies to enhance student learning experiences, academic support, and retention.

- Promote initiatives that foster inclusive learning environments and equitable access to education.

- Support the integration of technology and digital learning tools to enhance student engagement.

Academic Policy & Governance

- Develop and oversee policies related to teaching quality, faculty performance, and student learning assessment.

- Ensure compliance with accreditation and regulatory standards related to academic quality and teaching excellence.

- Collaborate with institutional leadership in developing strategic academic initiatives and policy reforms.

Innovation in Teaching & Learning

- Lead initiatives to integrate new technologies, blended learning models, and innovative pedagogical approaches.

- Support research and projects that enhance learning methodologies and instructional design.

- Foster a culture of continuous improvement in teaching practices based on data- driven insights and student feedback.

Faculty Development & Support

- Lead staff development (programme leaders)in relation to learning and teaching.

- Play a lead role in overseeing the quality and quality enhancement of the provision of the courses as well as the student academic experience.

- Play a role in the strategic deployment of teaching and learning resources in the faculty.

- Promote and co-ordinate quality enhancement in teaching, with respect to effective and high- quality learning, teaching, assessment and student support practices in the faculty, including the promotion of initiatives in learning and teaching.

- Lead the implementation, embedding and development of the key strategies and policies (principally the Learning, Teaching and Assessment; Student Engagement).

- Provide strategic leadership to encourage maximum participation by students in providing feedback about their academic experiences (e.g., National Student Survey) and the dissemination, analysis and action planning in response to these outcomes.

- Provide academic leadership, in conjunction with the Head of Human Resources in relation to academic staff induction, training and development.

- Encourage the development of innovative approaches to course delivery and ensure that teaching delivery achieves the educational standards of the school.

Qualifications

Essential

- An MA or a doctoral degree (Ph.D., Ed.D., or equivalent) in education, instructional design, curriculum development, or a related field.

- Sound of experience in higher education, including teaching and academic leadership/management roles.

- Strong knowledge of pedagogical strategies, curriculum development, and assessment frameworks.

- Experience in faculty development, instructional technology, and online/blended learning environments.

- Proven ability to lead academic initiatives and drive institutional change.

- Excellent communication, leadership, and interpersonal skills.

Desirable:

- Experience of an institution-wide role at a senior level within a higher education setting.

- Experience with accreditation processes and regulatory compliance in higher education.

- Background in educational technology and data-driven decision-making in learning strategies.

- A strong research record in teaching and learning innovations.

Leadership Experience/Knowledge:

Essential:

- Experience of leadership in learning and teaching within higher education sector.

- An established track record of implementing innovative and creative solutions to learning, teaching and assessment challenges.

- Expertise in modern pedagogies and instructional technology.

- The ability to facilitate the sharing of good practice in learning and teaching.

- Strong ability to work across departments and academic units.

- Understanding of higher education policies and accreditation standards.

- Ability to inspire faculty and drive academic improvements.

Desirable:

- High academic standing evidenced by research and / or scholarship that is recognised as internationally excellent.

Work Environment & Expectations

- Highly developed analytical skills, an assured and persuasive communication style and the ability to think strategically and tactically.

- This is a full-time leadership role with a combination of academic and administrative responsibilities.

- You must have the ability to travel between campuses for academic conferences, accreditation meetings, or faculty development initiatives.

- The position requires flexibility, innovation, and a commitment to academic excellence.

- Demonstrable experience of budget management.

Qualities

- An absolute commitment to upholding the FSB s Values.

- Commitment to equal opportunity, diversity and a positive employment culture .

- Financial and commercial awareness and a strong analytical mind.

- A commitment to excellence.

Additional requirements

- The ability to travel between campuses.

- An awareness of equal opportunity and diversity issues.

- An awareness of health & safety regulations and safeguarding protocols.